Will Pipes Freeze in Pulaski County, KY? 26 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Pulaski County
In a normal year Pulaski County, KY gets 26 nights at or below 20°F, the point where bare pipes in a garage, attic or outside wall start to freeze. That is more than 42% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs November to March, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 94 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 26 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 6 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 26 nights of risk to 6 nights. A 12 ft heat-tape kit runs $17 to $37; an average burst-pipe repair is about $500.
Month by month
Nights at or below 20°F in a normal year.
First 32°F night is usually around 10/30, last around 04/05. For 20°F: 12/06 to 03/01.
How cold Pulaski County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 31°F; the coldest month, January, averages 29°F overnight. 7 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, December: 6 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29°F | 32°F | 39°F | 48°F | 57°F | 65°F | 69°F | 67°F | 60°F | 48°F | 38°F | 33°F |
Pulaski County next to its neighbours
Rockcastle County, KY, 37 km northeast, gets 30 nights below 20°F to Pulaski County's 26 nights. Laurel County, KY, 41 km east, gets 22 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulaski County, KY | - | 94 nights | 26 nights | 29°F |
| Rockcastle County, KY | 37 km northeast | 100 nights | 30 nights | 25°F |
| Casey County, KY | 39 km northwest | 109 nights | 34 nights | 24°F |
| Lincoln County, KY | 40 km north | 97 nights | 29 nights | 25°F |
| Laurel County, KY | 41 km east | 90 nights | 22 nights | 27°F |
| Wayne County, KY | 41 km southwest | 99 nights | 28 nights | 26°F |
| McCreary County, KY | 43 km south | 119 nights | 33 nights | 24°F |
Pulaski County within KY
Pulaski County ranks 79 of 120 KY counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Shelby County, KY at 55 nights, with a 22°F average winter low. The fewest is Lyon County, KY: 15 nights, winter lows near 32°F. At 1,059 ft, Pulaski County sits 263 ft above the state's median county elevation of 797 ft.
What to do here
- Insulate every pipe in unheated space before the season starts.
- Heat tape on the runs you cannot insulate well.
- Shut off and drain outdoor spigots for the season.
Why 20°F is the line for a garage pipe: how cold before pipes freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Somerset (2 mi N), KY, 4 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. What a "fair" or "distant" station match means is in the method guide.